Israeli children aged 12 and 13 arrested for fire-bombing a Palestinian taxi driver

Israeli police have arrested three children on suspicion of fire-bombing a Palestinian taxi carrying a family.

Six people were injured, two seriously, when the vehicle taking the Arab family, including two children, to a supermarket in the West Bank burst into flames.

The children, aged 12 to 13 from the Bat Ayin settlement near Jerusalem, were arrested yesterday but may be released today following questioning, according to Israeli newspaper reports.

Anger: Jewish radicals have carried out a string of attacks in recent months in response to the Israeli government's action against settlements in the West Bank

Their lawyer, David Halevi, said this indicates police have 'no meaningful evidence' against his clients involvement in the incident on August 16.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said:
'Police have arrested three suspects, all of them between the ages of 12
and 13 under suspicion of being connected with the incident two
weeks ago in which a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a Palestinian taxi.'

It follows a string of attacks in recent months by Jewish radicals angered by their government's attempts to curb settlement expansion.

Mosques, private Palestinian property and Israeli security forces have all been targeted.